Better World Spirits – A New Paradigm in Business

The current paradigm in business revolves around growth. Early in my business career when I owned and operated my first entrepreneurial venture, Whitetail Brewing, I was told that a business is either growing or shrinking, there is no middle ground. At the time, I equated all evolution of a business to financial growth. If a business did not continue to grow financially, it was shrinking and therefore a failure.

Over the years, my view of business has transformed to a stage where all organizations are evaluated on a holistic basis that includes much more than simply financial growth. If an organization is viewed as an organism, long term continued growth is not positive. If a human being grows too large he/she becomes obese, which is a dangerous condition that leads to long term negative effects. The same condition potentially occurs in the business world and every business needs to determine the proper size for long term sustainability.

How can growth in a business be viewed in a more holistic perspective? How can the growth of a business incorporate the emotional well-being, spiritual aspects, mental health and not just bottom line financial growth? In order for a business to survive and thrive on a long term basis much more than simple financial growth is required.

At Better World Spirits, we are not striving to be the biggest; we are endeavoring to develop to a sustainable size that allows for the continued long term growth focused on local sourcing and local distribution. Better World Spirits will be incorporated as a benefit corporation. A typical business is incorporated and is mandated to maximize profit for the shareholders of the organization. This often comes at the expense of environmental or social justice issues. If the legal mandate of an organization is focused solely on profit and does not have a more holistic view, in the long term it is inherently not sustainable. As a benefit corporation, a portion of the year end profits will be donated to local organizations that share in the overall mission of creating a better global society for all citizens.

Better World Spirits is focused on making a better world for all citizens. At Better World Spirits all employees will be considered equally valuable. All employees will receive the same hourly wage regardless of position. It is my personal view that no individual is intrinsically more valuable to an organization than any other individual. If the janitor does not complete his/her job; the CEO or manager cannot complete their job and vice versa. Consequently, all employees will be viewed as equally valuable to the entire organization and share in the growth. At the end of each fiscal year a portion of the profits will be distributed to all employees simply based on the number of hours worked during the year.

Building a Better World One Toast at a Time!
Cheers!